The New Battle Dress
These paintings are an emotional response to the service the medical professions are doing during the Corona outbreak. The mask is the new battle dress. Usually associated with impersonality - it has began to mean something different. It not only protects us, it protects others and so has become a symbol of universal care. Factory made, custom made or home made from whatever is available in the house - it has developed a universal currency and meaning.
There is a marked contrast at the moment between the many people confined at home, and the few on the front lines endangering themselves working relentlessly to save lives.
This series was sparked off by an article on hospital staff in South Korea who, like many, found it necessary to protect their faces with plasters after daily shifts of ten hours wearing protective clothing. Other articles show health workers worldwide with their faces marked with temporary body scarifications. It is difficult not to be impacted by this display of raw humanity and service.
